Buxar: Four districts of Bihar — Rohtas, Buxar, Aurangabad and Kaimur — consistently record some of the highest maximum temperatures in the state and face severe heatwave conditions, the Centre informed Parliament on Monday.Minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Kirtivardhan Singh, said this in a written reply to a question by RJD MP from Buxar Sudhakar Singh, who had sought details on the districts experiencing the highest temperatures, measures to tackle heatwaves and the reasons behind rising temperatures in Bihar.According to climate sensitivity and seasonal weather monitoring reports of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the four districts in southwestern Bihar are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. Dehri in Rohtas has been identified among the areas consistently reporting high maximum temperatures.The minister said the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre has installed Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) in all blocks of the state to strengthen weather and climate services and provide localised early warnings.The system is aimed at enabling communities, citizens and institutions to take timely measures during extreme weather events and strengthen local climate adaptation planning.The Centre said the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority has mapped heatwave-prone areas and prepared the Bihar State Heat Wave Action Plan to mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.Bihar has also prepared a State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which provides a broader framework for climate-related action across the country.The Union environment ministry has provided financial assistance to Bihar for preparation of the SAPCC, while the Ministry of Science and Technology has established a State Climate Change Cell (SCCC) in Bihar under the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.The climate change cell supports the state in conducting risk and vulnerability assessments, capacity-building programmes, public awareness campaigns and institutional strengthening, besides helping implement climate adaptation measures.The minister said district-level studies are also being undertaken under the programme. These studies are intended to help the state prepare climate adaptation plans using a common framework.
